Unveiling the Creation of the PAN and Nike Partnership at Milan Design Week, Infused with a Throbbing Club Aura
PAN and Nike Unveil the PAN x Nike Air Max 180 NIX at Milan Design Week 2025
The fashion world is abuzz with excitement as PAN, the influential record label known for its shape-shifting electronic artists, and Nike, the iconic sneaker brand, join forces to launch the PAN x Nike Air Max 180 NIX. This collaboration, which was inspired by the shared cultural roots of dance music, fashion, and artistic experimentation, is a testament to the power of cross-disciplinary partnerships.
The PAN x Nike Air Max 180 NIX is a sleek trainer designed specifically for club environments. It boasts a sturdy sole, a rubberized heel for added stability, and a wipe-clean cowl on the toes, making it the perfect footwear for those extended dancefloor sessions. The name of this special edition, 'NIX', is a nod to Greek mythology's Nyx, the goddess personifying night, and also represents the opposite of PAN, meaning 'nothing'.
The development of the PAN x Nike Air Max 180 NIX took two years, with PAN's founder, Bill Kouligas, and his team going through three iterations before finalizing the fourth version. The collaboration grew out of a previous Milan Design Week in 2022, where Kouligas had an installation called 'Rituals Around The Machines'. This installation, along with the shared cultural background, served as the foundation for this unique collaboration.
The visual campaigns for the collaboration feature work by photographer Momo Okabe, showcasing artists linked to PAN's roster. This integration of PAN's aesthetic and creative network is a key aspect of the project, reflecting the label's avant-garde music identity and its roots in the electronic music scene.
In addition to the PAN x Nike Air Max 180 NIX, the collaboration also marks the birth of PAN's 'new initiative for creative research and development', named NIX. This initiative is a reflection of PAN's commitment to pushing boundaries and exploring new territories, both in music and design.
The Air Max 180, originally launched in 1991, became synonymous with club culture in the 1990s due to its breathable mesh material, allowing ravers to wear them for extended periods on the dancefloor. With the PAN x Nike Air Max 180 NIX, the duo has revived this cult classic, blending its heritage with PAN's identity as an influential label in experimental electronic music.
This collaboration is more than just a sneaker launch; it's a celebration of shared cultural spaces and a testament to the power of collaboration. The 'spatial intervention' called 'The Suspended Hour', created by PAN and Sub, an architectural firm in Berlin, further underscores this ethos. As the Milan Design Week 2025 unfolds, the PAN x Nike Air Max 180 NIX is set to be one of its most talked-about highlights.
The collaboration between PAN and Nike extends beyond fashion-and-beauty, as the partnership marks the beginning of PAN's new technology-focused initiative, NIX, emphasizing their commitment to innovation and boundary-pushing projects. As the PAN x Nike Air Max 180 NIX trainers blend the heritage of the past with the avant-garde aesthetics of the present, they represent a unique fusion of lifestyle, technology, and dance culture.
